Chapter 27: Conflict

A phantom-like shadow melted into the long night.
Crimson lightning flickered around Elvira.
Even though she was more than ten meters up in the sky, I could hear the roar of the thunder.

The next moment, a crimson “meteor” fell, smashing into the crowd with a fierce whistle of wind.
The inquisitors fell like wheat in the wind.
Only the mountain of steel stood tall and unyielding.

At the same time, the fleet’s next round of cannon fire arrived abruptly.
The church’s formation was torn apart again, but even so, it couldn’t stop the inquisitors’ charge.

The sound of firelocks came one wave after another.
The unfortunate other-races who were hit either fell to the ground twitching, or fell over the ship’s railing into the sea.
More of them lay on the ground, motionless.

The scene grew more and more intense.
Lightning flashed, and guns and swords clashed.

I didn’t have to worry about Elvira for the time being, but Nadiesse, who was fighting that man, was already at a disadvantage.

Even someone like me who doesn’t understand combat could see Nadiesse’s decline.
The man held his sword in one hand, the other behind his back.
He leisurely blocked all of Nadiesse’s attacks, and would even shake his head and click his tongue.

The scumbag was incredibly arrogant.
Let’s teach him a lesson.

But… what should I do?
My own strength is not strong, I can only watch and worry.
But I have to do something at least…

Aiya! Just go out and attract attention.
Take some of the pressure off Nadiesse, even if it’s just a little bit.
Verona, get moving!

With a firm resolve, I ran onto the deck with my gun, jumped onto the port platform, and at the moment Nadiesse and the man clashed and separated, I instantly pulled the trigger!

Bang— Clang—!

The man turned, and with a blade only two fingers wide, he blocked the bullet.
In the instant the sparks flew, I saw the man’s ecstatic face.

“You’re finally willing to come out!”
The man smashed a test tube at his feet.
Black mist erupted from under him, blocking Nadiesse’s pursuit and also my line of sight.

“Verona, what are you two doing out here?”

Nadiesse flashed in front of me, shielding me.

“Their target is me. You’re already injured, go quickly!”

“You think I’m that much of a coward?”

“Aiya, aiya~ sacrificing oneself for righteousness, an eternal classic.”

The black mist gradually dissipated, and the man’s figure was revealed.
He clapped his hands and said.

“White hair, heterochromatic eyes, holding Marolin’s gun.
It seems you are the Thorn Witch…
Oh! Please allow me to introduce myself.”

He made a circle with one hand and placed it on his chest, his legs slightly bent.
The man performed a standard noble’s bow.

“Rosius Uldis, the newly appointed Grand Inquisitor, greets you.
Speaking of which, I have to thank you for what you did.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been promoted.”

“You’re welcome. If you could kneel down and thank me, I would be very happy to watch.”

I stepped out from behind Nadiesse, lifted my smooth chin, and looked at the man with a provocative expression, pretending to be arrogant and domineering.

“Look at your terrible appearance, all greasy and powdered.
Didn’t your mother teach you how to behave?
Or should I say… you don’t have one?”

Hearing me say this, the man’s expression visibly stiffened.

“Haha, Miss Witch, you are truly lively.
I hope you can be this lively on the operating table later.”

“At least I’ll be livelier than your motionless mother.”

“………”

The other party didn’t speak again, his face grim as he gritted his teeth.

His mental fortitude is average.
We’ve barely even started, and he can’t take it already?

In the midst of the chaotic battle, only our area was filled with a strange silence.
Suddenly, the man’s figure blurred and instantly disappeared from his spot.
The next moment, he appeared directly in front of me.

“Watch out!”

Before I could react, Nadiesse directly pushed me away and blocked the incoming long sword with a reverse-gripped dagger.
Her speed was extremely fast, but my left shoulder was still grazed, and blood flowed down my arm.

The blood dripped and splattered on the ground.
Small cracks actually appeared on the stone platform, and a few bright red flowers bloomed from them, looking enchanting and alluring.

My blood… is actually that powerful?
It can make stones bloom?

Then what if… I use it as a weapon?

With a thought, the few bright red flowers grew rapidly, shooting up.
Black and red thorns grew in abundance.
I controlled them to pounce on the man, and at the same time, with a wave of my arm, more blood splattered on the ground, creating small flowers just like before.

“This is… it seems the teacher was right,” the man muttered to himself, then jumped back to create distance, not daring to touch the thorns.

“Nadiesse, take your people and get on the ship, leave!”

“I can’t possibly leave you two behind.”

“Why are you so stubborn, you fox?!
We have other ways to escape, but you and your crew can only leave by ship.
Go quickly, do you hear me!”

Nadiesse hesitated, unable to make up her mind.
Seeing this, I decided not to give her any more room to maneuver.
I directly pushed her away and charged towards the grim-faced man alone.

The blood that had spilled on the ground turned into thorns, blocking Nadiesse’s attempt to follow.
And because of the blood loss, my fingertips began to grow cold.

This isn’t a long-term solution.
For now, I can only take it one step at a time.
I hope Nadiesse and her crew can move quickly…

“Cutting off your own escape route, how foolish and ignorant.
Your brain is not as sharp as your tongue,” the man began to mock me with a pretentious attitude again.
As he spoke, he took out a potion and drank it.
His muscles bulged, and even through his clothes, I could see the slightly ferocious muscle lines.

I’m fighting by sacrificing my life, and he’s fighting by taking drugs?

No wonder he looks so kidney-deficient.¹

Although I was cursing the man in my heart, my movements became more cautious.
I controlled the thorns to gather in front of me, slowly forming a black and red barrier.
I kept a close watch on the man’s movements, my eyes fixed on him without blinking.

I didn’t even see the man’s movements just now.
His next attack will only be more ferocious…

The next moment, the ground under the man’s feet cracked, and his figure disappeared in a flash.
I hurriedly looked around, speeding up the process of the thorns closing in.

Suddenly, my vision blurred for a moment.
A bright silver sword tip occupied the center of my vision, only a few inches from my eyes.
I couldn’t even focus my vision before the sword tip was about to pierce my eye socket.

“Get out of the way!”

A familiar voice came with the sound of tearing air.
Crimson lightning lit up the night.
Elvira, wrapped in lightning, suddenly appeared in front of me.
She raised her hand and punched the man, sending him flying.
He tumbled and crashed into a house, and then there was no more movement.

“Are you okay?” Elvira turned her head and asked.

“I’m fine…”

I answered subconsciously, but my mind was still stuck in that soul-stirring moment, unable to calm down for a long time.

The man’s strength far exceeded my imagination.
How, how could he do that?
It’s no longer within the scope of what a human body can do…
How is Elvira?

I came back to my senses and looked the black-haired girl in front of me up and down.
Elvira’s hair was a bit messy, and there were a few tears in her black dress, but fortunately, she was not seriously injured.
Seeing this, I was slightly relieved.

“Elvira, the fleet should be able to set sail soon.
At that time, we’ll fly along the coast to another place, so the church can’t—”

“Don’t… you dare… leave.”

Suddenly, a rough, unpleasant roar, like the sound of a broken bellows, sounded.
The sound of heavy footsteps slowly approached.
A small mountain pressed down on us.
The sense of oppression created by the difference in size swept over my entire body.

The steel giant stood before us, holding a ridiculously large iron hammer.

And above his head, a basketball-sized, eye-like object was floating.

It was staring at me.

Footnote:

¹ 肾虚 (shènxū – kidney-deficient): In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are believed to be the source of a person’s vital energy, or qi, and are linked to vitality, stamina, and virility. “Kidney deficiency” is a common folk diagnosis for a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, weakness, and low libido. Here, Verona is humorously and derisively suggesting that Rosius’s reliance on performance-enhancing drugs is a sign of his underlying weakness or lack of natural vitality.